Socialists Say, Revolution is the Only Way

The capitalist mode of production has posed before humanity the alternatives: socialism or barbarism The only power that can save humanity from the peril of barbarism is the working class. It must free itself from all dependence on the possessing classes. It must cease all collaboration with the exploiters and embark on the road of class struggle, the path of socialist victory. The resources of the world must pass into the possession of working humanity. All other problems, the problems of nationality and of race and color will be solved once society is freed from exploitation and class divisions. Socialism will bring real democracy. The revolution is coming that will place the working women and men in full command over its vast resources, that will link the world and lay down the foundations of the new socialist order of peace and freedom. For us, socialism equals People Power with commune councils organising neighbourhoods and communities and workers’ democratically running production through their own organisations, workers’ committees, elected at the work-place.

The division of the world into different nation-states imposes a definite form on the revolutionary process. The workers must and can take power in the territories defined by different existing states. But the construction of socialism can be completed only on a world scale. The victory of the socialist revolution requires international organisation. The first requirement for the workers in all countries of the world is to break cleanly from the capitalist class and their political parties, and any and all concepts of coalitions with their parties.  Capitalism is slashing the gains that have already been won, imposing cuts on social legislation and straight-jacketing the unions with labour legislation. Technological progress is now reaping vast profits for the industrial and financial oligarchy and condemning thousands to permanent unemployment. The scramble for profit has wasted and despoiled our rich resources of soil, water, forest, and minerals. This lack of social planning results in a waste of our human as well as our natural resources. Our human resources are wasted through social and economic conditions.  Production can and should be so operated as to enable our people to use fully their talents and skills. Such an economy will yield the maximum opportunities for individual development and the maximum of goods and services for the satisfaction of human needs. Unprecedented scientific and technological advances have brought us to another technological and industrial revolution. Opportunities for enriching the standard of life are greater than ever. Unless there is intelligent social planning, the evils of the past will be multiplied in the future and new technology changes will produce greater concentrations of inequalities of wealth and power and will cause widespread distress and discontent through unemployment and the displacement of populations.

Capitalism promises people not an amelioration of conditions but austerity and harsh oppression. Only through an irreconcilable struggle against capitalism, towards its elimination and the establishment of socialism, will the people of the world find the full freedom, equality, and democracy for which they aspire. Economic growth and capital expansion motivated by the drive for private gain and special privilege and accompanied by widespread suffering and injustice is not desirable social progress. 

The Socialist Party reaffirms its belief that our society must build a new relationship among men and women--a relationship based on mutual respect and on equality of opportunity. In such a society everyone will have a sense of worth and belonging and will be enabled to develop his or her capacities to the full. In the cooperative commonwealth, people will be working together in everyone's interest. The hungry, oppressed and underprivileged of the world must know democracy not as a smug slogan but as a way of life which sees the world as one whole. 

The Socialist Party will not rest content until every person in all lands is able to enjoy equality and freedom, a sense of human dignity, and an opportunity to live a rich and meaningful life as a citizen of a free and peaceful world. We do not stand for the reform of any institution under capitalism. Our activities have always been directed towards the complete overthrow of capitalism, and to that end, we have concentrated our attention on the education of our fellow-workers who are engaged in wealth production and who are exploited in the process. Only socialists who present the true facts of the class struggle, and who seek to advance that class struggle, ought to be allowed to call itself revolutionary.